It's been a while since I read fiction. I've been reading The Federalist Papers and a book of essays about the Royal Society. This was a great short b...moreIt's been a while since I read fiction. I've been reading The Federalist Papers and a book of essays about the Royal Society. This was a great short book to pick up to slip back into the world of fiction. Auster's characters feel real and he is able to deftly combine poetry and narrative economy.(less)
A compilation of various essays on the Royal Society. I think Bryson did a good job of cultivating common themes that seem to connect across the essay...moreA compilation of various essays on the Royal Society. I think Bryson did a good job of cultivating common themes that seem to connect across the essays in a sequence in some way. I also liked how some essays presented slightly differing accounts of the same scientific principles, allowing the reader to more deeply understand the nuances of the ideas.(less)
The deliberate but subtle countervailing of stereotypes results in a narrative that doesn't quite go the way that the reader would expect it to. The s...moreThe deliberate but subtle countervailing of stereotypes results in a narrative that doesn't quite go the way that the reader would expect it to. The story ends up not being so much an apocalyptic thriller, but rather a story about integrity and relationships. The author's style of trying to cut through facades to the warm hearted archetypes underneath reminded me a bit of Ken Kesey's approach to storytelling.(less)
My wife wanted me to read this, so I did. The writing sucks you in and the atmosphere is well woven. That whole ghost thing, however. . . I could live...moreMy wife wanted me to read this, so I did. The writing sucks you in and the atmosphere is well woven. That whole ghost thing, however. . . I could live with the ghost, but I think the story would benefit from a tad more British style restraint than the full bore extreme twists that the author chose to adopt. In other words, I thought the characters themselves amidst the well-crafted setting possessed enough richness to have carried the story without those more Hollywood-esque plot spikes.(less)
An important book. Essential for educators to read. Greene boils down a therapeutic approach to dealing with challenging students that he calls collab...moreAn important book. Essential for educators to read. Greene boils down a therapeutic approach to dealing with challenging students that he calls collaborative problem solving, or Plan B. He models for the reader what this process can look at one-on-one with a student, as a whole class, and as a whole school by constructing an ongoing narrative based on the stories of a couple of fictional challenging students. Given that he's got a point to make, the narrative is somewhat artificial of course, but it's remarkably realistic nonetheless and well-crafted for its target audience.
What I found interesting about his collaborative problem solving process is that it's essentially a simplified version of the Life Space Interview conducted as a part of Life Space Crisis Intervention. However, his version can be seen as serving a broader and more proactive purpose, as opposed to dealing crises after they have occurred (though this is a disservice to LSCI -- it's purpose is ultimately preventative, not reactive). I bring this up not to denigrate his model at all, I think it's actually far more practical and relevant to real classroom application, as opposed to the admittedly involved series of the I-ESCAPE steps during LSI. So I found it incredibly useful as building on the training and perspective I've gained from LSI. I also like that the collaborative problem solving process is simplified enough to be generalized for different purposes -- it's useful not only for dealing one on one with challenging students, but in any situation in dealing with confrontation, even at a systems level of decision-making and communication.
Well worth reading and operationalizing in daily practice.(less)
The stark writing in this novel is poetic -- and like poetry, it forces the reader to slow down and savor its rich descriptions and the implicit sorro...moreThe stark writing in this novel is poetic -- and like poetry, it forces the reader to slow down and savor its rich descriptions and the implicit sorrow that becomes unveiled over the course of the story. It moved maybe a bit too slowly for me by the end, but I savored it nonetheless. I especially enjoyed the Zycronian tale that undergirds the love and tragedy of the novel.(less)
I really enjoyed this book. It seems like it is all too rare that I come across a book where the author is drunk with the joy of language. The languag...moreI really enjoyed this book. It seems like it is all too rare that I come across a book where the author is drunk with the joy of language. The language in this book is cheeky, it is insouciant, it is fun and vibrant and alive. The plot? Pretty enjoyable. Not terribly deep, but not shallow either. As a first novel, this makes me eager to see what more Harkaway has got to share.(less)
I really enjoyed this book. There is a sensuality to the pacing and words Ondaatje weaves in his stories. The weight of history is outlined for each i...moreI really enjoyed this book. There is a sensuality to the pacing and words Ondaatje weaves in his stories. The weight of history is outlined for each individual character, all who seem to exist in their own universe, apart from each other, yet still inextricably entwined. Utterly beautiful.(less)
The book kind of reads like one would expect a psychoanalyst to ponder -- eloquent, somewhat brooding, sharp, with tinges of Classicism. Though the bo...moreThe book kind of reads like one would expect a psychoanalyst to ponder -- eloquent, somewhat brooding, sharp, with tinges of Classicism. Though the book is rather slow, or at least hard to pursue in the short bursts of fragmented reading on the subway to and from work, I drew sustenance from it and found some rich insights to ponder in therapeutic approaches in my work with children. If you are interested in psychoanalysis in particular, or conversational therapy in general, I think you will find the book useful.(less)
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